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Community

The Rural We: Francesco Mastalia

Italian-born photographer Francesco Mastalia has lived on the East Coast since the age of 2, first in New Jersey, and for the last 10 years in the Hudson Valley. His first book, a photo documentary on the history of dreadlocks that includes an introduction by Pulitzer Prize-winning author

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The Rural We: Jamie Cat Callan

Photo by Krystal Kenney Jamie Cat Callan is the author of the bestselling books "French Women Don’t Sleep Alone," "Bonjour, Happiness!" and "Ooh La La! French Women’s Secrets to Feeling Beautiful Every Day." Her next book, "Parisian Charm School: French Secrets

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The Rural We: Amy Rudnick

You can thank Amy Rudnick in large part for the spectacular (and seamlessly run) galas you’ve attended. She’s the party planner extraordinaire behind events at Jacob’s Pillow, the Mahaiwe, Shakespeare & Company, and many other nonprofit organizations in the Berkshires. She got her start in the event-

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The Rural We: Rob Caldwell

Musica owner Rob Caldwell is celebrating the 20th anniversary of his lovingly curated Hudson, New York music shop. If you are or know a musician and haven’t been there, you need to stop what you’re doing and go there a.s.a.p. Musica was in Chatham for

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The Rural We: Arlin Wasserman

It’s good for business and good for the environment to follow sustainable business practices, to not overfish our oceans, to celebrate “meatless Mondays,” to recycle, and to buy produce from local farms. But this knowledge wasn’t always known or practiced on a large scale. The fact that it

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10 Things To Love About Pine Plains

By Jamie Larson Pine Plains seems to emerge out of nowhere. You're driving through the woods between Dutchess County, N.Y. and Connecticut, and all of a sudden this handsome crossroads community pops up. Though small, Pine Plains has a surprising amount of reasons to visit, from the

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New Milford Joins A National Barn Quilt Trail Trend

By Lisa Green Quilts have told stories for hundreds of years. But in the past couple of decades, they’ve started presenting their stories in a new way — a new medium, in fact — and New Milford, Conn. is one of the first (if not the first) communities in the RI

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Community

The Rural We: James Crisp

The founder of Crisp Architects, a prominent architectural and design firm based in Millbrook, New York, Jimmy Crisp was born in Pumpkin Center, Louisiana. While he was working in the city after graduating from Louisiana State University, he renovated a one-room schoolhouse in Dutchess County, and started getting work

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The Rural We: Linda Mussmann

Claudia Bruce and Linda Mussmann Time and Space Limited has been a haven for artistic and cultural energy in Hudson for over 25 years. TSL’s co-founders and co-directors Claudia Bruce and Linda Mussmann turned the old factory on Columbia Street into a destination to experience vital works

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The Rural We: Cherri Sanes

Cherri Sanes and her husband Scott own and run ExtraSpecialTeas, a teahouse in downtown Great Barrington, Mass. that provides habilitation therapies and vocational opportunities for young adults with special needs who would not otherwise be employed. The nonprofit celebrated its one-year anniversary this past April, and in June Sanes

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Community

Tour Historic Barns Of Dutchess County — And Party At The End

Heermance Farm. Photos: Carol Pederson, Capturing Moments Photography. By Lisa Green Here’s the setup for the perfect September day in the Rural Intelligence region: Car, motorcycle or bicycle — unfamiliar country roads — historic barns — farm visits… and an end-of-the-day reception in a barn with food and drink

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Come To Your Senses: Music And Architecture At Edgewater

By Lisa Green A chamber music salon in a magnificent estate sounds very 19th century, but there’s no reason it can’t be recreated in the 21st, especially considering the architecture of classical and romantic style homes prevalent in our region. On Sunday, Sept. 17, the Classical American Homes

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